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upper-class 1 of 2

adjective

ˌə-pər-ˈklas How to pronounce upper-class (audio)
Definition of upper-classnext
as in aristocratic
of high birth, rank, or station upper-class boys who had an entrenched sense of entitlement

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

upper class

2 of 2

noun

as in aristocracy
the highest class in a society a school founded to educate the children of the upper class

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upper-class
Adjective
DeWitt’s narrator is a teenage girl whose demanding mother insists on proper upper-class behavior, befitting a young, wealthy Englishwoman. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 Columbia University researchers found in a 2005 study that children from upper-class families can exhibit elevated likelihoods of substance use, anxiety, and depression in part thanks to excessive pressures to achieve and isolation from parents. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
The grave goods suggest the deceased were members of society's upper class. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026 The discovery was made among human bones at a burial site that researchers believe was used for members of the society’s upper classes. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for upper-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper-class
  1. aristocratic
  2. aristocracy
  3. nobility
  4. upper crust
  5. gentry
Adjective
  • The aristocratic Spencer family has been buoying the yellow pages of The Sun, The Daily Mail, and The Mirror for nearly 50 years.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The latest lesson was about the aristocratic and bourgeois aspect of Gucci.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of aristocratic
Noun
  • Of course, one entertainer who isn’t in that category would seem to be a natural fit for Arrowhead — the one who has married into Kansas City’s aristocracy.
    — Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The ‘Baronessa’ was Venetian aristocracy and lived in a vast rococo palace with Guardis and Canalettos in the drawing room.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of aristocracy
Noun
  • There’s a nobility in providing some fan service to help immerse Oasis devotees who could not afford the outrageous ticket prices to attend the tour.
    — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Working as a portraitist, she was commissioned by university scholars and local nobility in Bologna, the Italian city where she was born.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of nobility
Noun
  • Even outside of Law’s upper crust of prospects, the Dodgers have intriguing pieces such as right-hander Christian Zazueta who would fill in credibly as headliners for a trade.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • She’s being raised in upper crust Gilead society, tutored in a private girls’ school led by Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) for a potential prosperous husband, specifically one in the upper ranks of the military.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 27 May 2026
Definition of upper crust
Noun
  • When it was closed down in 1539, its treasures, books and relics were seized and its lands and buildings sold off, some to local nobles and gentry, some to the town authorities of Bury.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Parker will play Mary Washington, George’s strong willed mother, while Rodgers will play Sally Cary, the charming beauty of the Virginia gentry who first sees his potential.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of gentry

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upper
upper-class
upper class
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Cite this Entry

“Upper-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper-class. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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